Sometimes it's bad luck, sometimes it's a a bad divorce or needing to provide more in child support than they income can support, sometimes it's just that they hit the bottom of a spiral that began in ignorance, mental illness or denial.
But "don't work as hard as I do?"
Not the guy who used to weld for me who had to support three families - a widower living in a camping van with one teen collecting survivor's SSI; who also had children from each two ex-wives he had to pay for.
Not the guy who worked at two convenience stores and lived behind a covered car-wash dumpster and made arrangements with them to be a "night watchman" while he helped keep his sick ex-wife and kids in their one-bedroom apartment.
Not the families who live in the washes and canyons and cars, working day labor, or as cooks/dishwashers, or stock clerks, drivers or in warehouses.
Not the people who worked while they were sick and broken, and were thrown away as soon as they weren't productive enough.
Not the people who thought they were doing all the right things, but found everything they worked for wasn't enough to pay the bills when they couldn't work any longer.
Very few people are willingly homeless because they're just lazy and want a hand-out or want to be "free".
It's not about money or work. I'm working twice as hard for twice as many hours a week, both physically and mentally, than one of my more remote relatives who managed to make the right friend in college and is making 7 figures spending six hours a day occasionally looking at a computer screen and using fairly simple algebra to make financial decisions for people who are making 7, 8, and 9 figures. The market and money is doing all his work. His job is to look good, be personable and convincing. He puts his name somewhere near the bottom line, and gets a hefty commission gambling with other people's money. He thinks he works hard for his money, and I'm sure there's some stress and risk involved in his decision process, but bless his heart....
It ain't hard work that guarantees you succeed.
And it ain't laziness that causes homelessness.
Haele
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